A 3rd Orange County Child Has Died Of Coronavirus Complications, OC Health Care Reports

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — A child under the age of 5-years-old has died due to coronavirus complications, the Orange County Health Care Agency confirmed Thursday. This is the third child under age 5 to have died of COVID-19 complications since the beginning of the pandemic, the agency reports.

Dr. Clayton Chau released a statement regarding the child's death in a continued plea for all to do what they can to slow the spread of coronavirus and the omicron variant.

"We have lost another precious young life to this terrible virus," Chau said. "This is yet another somber reminder that we must continue to do everything we can to protect our loved ones, especially our little ones under five years of age who are not able to be vaccinated."

Little is known about the child's other medical conditions if any. Though vaccines are not available for children under the age of 5, the case rate for coronavirus in Orange County remains on an upward trajectory.

On Thursday, the average number of positive coronavirus cases rose to 6,266 and the positivity rate increased to 16.2 percent.

Orange County's hospital intensive care units are filling with unvaccinated patients suffering the worst side effects of coronavirus. Currently, the county has 724 patients hospitalized and of those, 109 are in intensive care.

Booster shots have been authorized for children between 12 and 17, administered five months after the children are fully vaccinated.

Moderately or severely immunocompromised children from 5 to 11-years-old may receive a third primary dose 28 days after completing their second round of Pfizer vaccination.

Avoid Coronavirus Through Vaccination, Testing

Vaccines continue to be widely available throughout Orange County for walk-in, same-day and future appointments, OC Health Care Agency says.

The agency also recommends testing as often as possible before gathering with others.

Across Orange County and the rest of the nation, rapid coronavirus tests are in short supply, says Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, Deputy County Health Officer.

"We strongly urge our county residents and visitors to please take all preventative measures to reduce your risk of getting sick or hospitalized," Chinsio-Kwong says.

Breakthrough infections remain possible among the vaccinated and boosted. However, to maximize immunity to COVID-19 and reduce your chance of getting severely infected, vaccination is still the best option, health care officials say.

Testing remains difficult for many, with over-the-counter tests vanishing from store shelves.

People who need quicker test results are encouraged to check with their healthcare provider or local retail pharmacy for the availability of rapid tests, Chinsio-Kwong recommends.

Get tested 24 hours before and 3-5 days after gathering or traveling:

• Self-collection, at-home COVID-19 Test Kits are available at no cost to people who work or live in Orange County and can be ordered online at ochealthinfo.com/covidtest.
• An email address is required for each individual requesting a test kit.
• Each kit comes with a prepaid shipping return label and results are provided within 24-48 hours upon receipt of the specimen.

All residents are expected to follow the California Mask Mandate Through Feb. 15, wear surgical masks or N-95 masks over cloth coverings, and follow the COVID-19 safety precautions outlined by the CDC during the Omicron variant surge.

Follow COVID-19 safety precautions:

• Limit or avoid large gatherings, especially indoors
• Keep a safe distance from others who may be unvaccinated
• Wash and sanitize your hands often and thoroughly
• Ensure good ventilation by keeping doors and windows open
• Regularly self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and
• Stay home if you are sick

Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Across Orange County since the pandemic began:

As of Thursday, the total number of coronavirus cases across the county has increased, as shown by OC Health Care data. Here are the latest figures by the community.

• Aliso Viejo - 4,071 Total Cases
• Anaheim - 55,012 Total Cases
• Brea - 4,745 Total Cases
• Buena Park - 10,849 Total Cases
• Costa Mesa - 13,479 Total Cases
• Coto de Caza - 467 Total Cases
• Cypress - 4,805 Total Cases
• Dana Point - 2,725 Total Cases
• Fountain Valley - 5,846 Total Cases
• Fullerton - 16,817 Total Cases
• Garden Grove - 21,948 Total Cases
• Huntington Beach - 17,941 Total Cases
• Irvine - 19,892 Total Cases
• La Habra - 9,014 Total Cases
• La Palma - 1,400 Total Cases
• Ladera Ranch - 1,775 Total Cases
• Laguna Beach - 1,656 Total Cases
• Laguna Hills - 2,778 Total Cases
• Laguna Niguel - 4,726 Total Cases
• Laguna Woods - 679 Total Cases
• Lake Forest - 6,738 Total Cases
• Los Alamitos - 1,939 Total Cases
• Midway City - 1,028 Total Cases
• Mission Viejo - 8,002 Total Cases
• Newport Beach - 6,763 Total Cases
• Orange - 17,062 Total Cases
• Placentia - 6,640 Total Cases
• Rancho Mission Viejo - 703 Total Cases
• Rancho Santa Margarita - 3,780 Total Cases
• Rossmoor - 216 Total Cases
• San Clemente - 5,290 Total Cases
• San Juan Capistrano - 4,101 Total Cases
• Santa Ana - 55,479 Total Cases
• Seal Beach - 2,041 Total Cases
• Silverado - 174 Total Cases
• Stanton - 4,091 Total Cases
• Trabuco Canyon - 1,868 Total Cases
• Tustin - 9,388 Total Cases
• Villa Park - 494 Total Cases
• Westminster - 10,113 Total Cases
• Yorba Linda - 7,574 Total Cases

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